Aulajijakka (Things I Remember)

Description

The people used to celebrate the arrival of the Nascopie asthey were happy that they were going to drink tea when they gotto the ship. Then in 1947, the ship got grounded and lots of Inuitpeople got food from the ship – stock that was meant for thestore. The 2011 Spring Release “Aulajijakka (Things I Remember)” from the Kinngait Studios in Cape Dorset features a folio of 17 linocuts by the late Kananginak Pootoogook enclosed in a presentation folder. Beautifully cut by Kananginak himself in the late 1970’s as part of a typography project introduced at that time, they were never printed. Instead, they were carefully wrapped and stored in the studio archive when the typography project ended.Over 30 years later, in 2010, the linocuts were finally unwrapped and expertly printed in the stonecut print shop. Two of the editions were signed by Kananginak before his death in December 2010, while the remainder were signed posthumously by his son Johnny.Kananginak Pootoogook (1 January 1935 ? 23 November 2010) was an very renown Inuit sculptor and printmaker who lived in Cape Dorset, Nunavut. He died as a result of complications related to surgery for lung cancer and will be sadly missed, his legacy carries through his prized artwork through many collections.Kananginak has been involved with drawing and printmaking since the late 1950’s when the graphic arts program first began at Cape Dorset. Kananginak’s first print, a collaborative image with his father, Pootoogook, was included in the first catalogued collection of Cape Dorset prints in 1959. Since that time, Kananginak’s work has been included in almost every annual collection, and has been interpreted in many different print media – copper engraving, stonecut, stencil, lithography and etching. Kananginak was an accomplished stonecut printmaker himself – in the early years he often proofed and editioned his own work.Kananginak and his siblings grew up in different camp areas on south Baffin Island. Their main camp was Ikirisaq where their father, Pootoogook, was the camp leader. Kananginak married Shooyoo from Cape Dorset in the mid-1950’s. They lived at Ikirisaq until 1958 when they moved to Cape Dorset because of Pootoogook’s failing health.Kananginak has been a prominent community leader. He was instrumental in the formation of the West Baffin Eskimo Co﷓operative in 1959, and served for several years as president of its Board of Directors. He is also a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of the Arts.In 1978, four of Kananginak’s images were included in a limited edition portfolio released by the World Wildlife Commission. His work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, in both public institutions and commercial galleries. He is also a notable sculptor.In 1997, Kananginak was commissioned by the Governor General of Canada, Romeo Leblanc, to construct an inuksuq in Cape Dorset, which was then dismantled and shipped to Ottawa. Kananginak and his son Johnny were then invited to Ottawa to re-assemble the inuksuq on the grounds of Rideau Hall as part of a tribute to Native people in Canada.From the beginning, Kananginak has represented Arctic wildlife in his work, often monumental in scale. He is especially capable at drawing the many species of birds that frequent the Arctic. He has also done many memorable images illustrating the material culture of the Inuit, and narrative drawings of camp and hunting scenes. This year Kananginak is well represented by five images that demonstrate his broad range as a graphic artist. The majestic Owl on Sealskin (2009-2) is monumental both in size and execution, and represents Kananginak at his most original. Dorset at Twilight (2009-3) and Pootoogook Returns (2009-4) are beautiful, small lithographs representing Kananginak’s obvious affection for his family, his community and it’s unique history.